Don’t listen to those fake 5 star reviews, I wish i could give this place 0 stars. First, the waiter, a younger asian gentleman, was extremely rude. Don’t split your broths, because they’ll charge you full price for both. Of course when we asked the waiter, they conveniently didn’t mention it, so 16$ for the same amount of broth. And oh yeah, one “large” order is definitely not enough for 2 people, let alone 1 person. 30$ for maybe 12 oz of meat is ridiculous. The waiter at the end when we voiced our concerns was rude, and overall just terrible service. They don’t even have tongs to grab the raw meat, and the waiter had the audacity to come back during our meal to ask for it back. Terrible experience, for 25$+ per person, i’d rather just go next door to happy lamb for AYCE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
B DEM
Best hot pot ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Basel Badawi
Very Rude management now , the guy on the hostess desk was unbelievably rude to me just because I asked to get a nicer table so I left , I have been going there for long time but it has been going downhill recently and today was my last time I go there :(
Evy Le
I feel like the food was better when the X owner was there especially the soy
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Kim Kim
I have tried like 10 different hot pot places, no matter where I try, there is no match for this place. Their soup is extremely unique, a balance of sweetness and salinity. Love it . Parking could be tough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jessica Whitney
My sister and I are both vegan and we’re extremely happy with not only the quality and taste of the food, but also our wonderful server. She was very thoughtful making sure our food was vegan and explaining the portion sizes to us. We left stuffed full of yummy food and a smile on our faces. A must eat!Dietary restrictions: Vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Vegetarian Delight
shitbox “SR tuning” man
Loud, small chairs, other then that. Food tasty, cheap. Good broth, loveddd the
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot
Chase DePrize
Very nice ambiance & family friendly. We were seated right away. I only gave 4 stars because I am vegan & had to share a pot with meat eater. Would love the next generation of innovation for pots. Maybe two separate skinny pots. ?Vegetarian options: Tofu assortment, Vegan broths, lots of vegetable options. The coconut ? ice cream is delicious ?Dietary restrictions: Lots of Vegan, vegetarian options. Variety of Sake option from sweet to dry.
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Vegetarian Delight
Sungmin Back
We saw a roach crawling on the table while eating, so the waiter let us leave without paying. You can find a few other reviews that mention the same thing, but the management has not done anything to mitigate the issue. Do yourself a favor and find another place to eat.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Marzio Napolitano
I love this place, ideal when I want hotpot and I don't have people to share it with. So many different type of broths you can choose
Good spot, lots of character, good but sort of funny service, and the hot pots are the big thing to try. We had a two broth split hot pot, vegetarian broth and chicken broth. Both were very good. We ordered the beef & chicken combo, the fish & seafood, and a vegetarian delight. All were good, but the vegetarian came with some root vegetables that really are not good unless you cook them for a while, which didn't work so well.We also had a few appetizers. The vegetable gyoza are very good, the edamame is good but was too salty, and I would not recommend the sashimi sampler. Both the tuna and salmon were bizarre colors and consistencies. The tuna was a strange magenta color, and the salmon had a slimy consistency and the fat areas were gray.
Katalina P.
One of my favorite shabu places in Boston for the past few years. My go to is the surf & turf, which is seafood + choice of meet with the kimchi broth. I always get the beef. It usually gets busy during dinner time but if you have a small party, the "booth" area clears up quicker. The only down side this time vs previous visits is the price. Just the broth was $8! I remember it being $4 a year ago or two. The surf & turf was $32. The food is good but I would try other places for that price.
Hannah Alohaid
Great service and delicious selection of broth and beef.
Cyn
The best restaurant to enjoy the famous Shabu Shabu, every visit I make to Boston I do not miss the opportunity to enjoy this delight of food. You can't miss it. This place is highly recommended.Vegetarian options: Plenty of veggies, Tofu, rice, noodles.Dietary restrictions: You can ask the waiter what type of food you have a restriction on.Parking: In front of Shabu Zen you can find a huge park lot.Kid-friendliness: Every kid is more than welcome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shabu
Last Bite
Shabu Zen: Quick and Tasty HotpotShabu Zen is my choice for a quick hotpot fix. The standout feature here is the fast service, which ensures you won't be waiting long for your bubbling pot of goodness.The menu offers a wide selection of meats, veggies, and other hotpot delights, providing a variety of choices to customize your meal. What sets Shabu Zen apart is the extensive range of broth options, allowing you to tailor your hotpot experience to your taste.However, as a self-proclaimed sauce enthusiast, I was slightly disappointed that they only offer one sauce. Hotpot, for me, is all about the dipping and experimenting with different flavors, so the limited sauce selection left me wanting more.While I do stop by Shabu Zen from time to time, there's still a special place in my heart for other hotpot spots in Chinatown. Despite the quick service and variety, the overall experience can sometimes feel a bit rushed. ???
Don’t listen to those fake 5 star reviews, I wish i could give this place 0 stars. First, the waiter, a younger asian gentleman, was extremely rude. Don’t split your broths, because they’ll charge you full price for both. Of course when we asked the waiter, they conveniently didn’t mention it, so 16$ for the same amount of broth. And oh yeah, one “large” order is definitely not enough for 2 people, let alone 1 person. 30$ for maybe 12 oz of meat is ridiculous. The waiter at the end when we voiced our concerns was rude, and overall just terrible service. They don’t even have tongs to grab the raw meat, and the waiter had the audacity to come back during our meal to ask for it back. Terrible experience, for 25$+ per person, i’d rather just go next door to happy lamb for AYCE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Best hot pot ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very Rude management now , the guy on the hostess desk was unbelievably rude to me just because I asked to get a nicer table so I left , I have been going there for long time but it has been going downhill recently and today was my last time I go there :(
I feel like the food was better when the X owner was there especially the soy
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
I have tried like 10 different hot pot places, no matter where I try, there is no match for this place. Their soup is extremely unique, a balance of sweetness and salinity. Love it . Parking could be tough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
My sister and I are both vegan and we’re extremely happy with not only the quality and taste of the food, but also our wonderful server. She was very thoughtful making sure our food was vegan and explaining the portion sizes to us. We left stuffed full of yummy food and a smile on our faces. A must eat!Dietary restrictions: Vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Vegetarian Delight
Loud, small chairs, other then that. Food tasty, cheap. Good broth, loveddd the
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot
Very nice ambiance & family friendly. We were seated right away. I only gave 4 stars because I am vegan & had to share a pot with meat eater. Would love the next generation of innovation for pots. Maybe two separate skinny pots. ?Vegetarian options: Tofu assortment, Vegan broths, lots of vegetable options. The coconut ? ice cream is delicious ?Dietary restrictions: Lots of Vegan, vegetarian options. Variety of Sake option from sweet to dry.
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot, Vegetarian Delight
We saw a roach crawling on the table while eating, so the waiter let us leave without paying. You can find a few other reviews that mention the same thing, but the management has not done anything to mitigate the issue. Do yourself a favor and find another place to eat.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
I love this place, ideal when I want hotpot and I don't have people to share it with. So many different type of broths you can choose
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Hot Pot
Restaurantji Recommends
Good spot, lots of character, good but sort of funny service, and the hot pots are the big thing to try. We had a two broth split hot pot, vegetarian broth and chicken broth. Both were very good. We ordered the beef & chicken combo, the fish & seafood, and a vegetarian delight. All were good, but the vegetarian came with some root vegetables that really are not good unless you cook them for a while, which didn't work so well.We also had a few appetizers. The vegetable gyoza are very good, the edamame is good but was too salty, and I would not recommend the sashimi sampler. Both the tuna and salmon were bizarre colors and consistencies. The tuna was a strange magenta color, and the salmon had a slimy consistency and the fat areas were gray.
One of my favorite shabu places in Boston for the past few years. My go to is the surf & turf, which is seafood + choice of meet with the kimchi broth. I always get the beef. It usually gets busy during dinner time but if you have a small party, the "booth" area clears up quicker. The only down side this time vs previous visits is the price. Just the broth was $8! I remember it being $4 a year ago or two. The surf & turf was $32. The food is good but I would try other places for that price.
Great service and delicious selection of broth and beef.
The best restaurant to enjoy the famous Shabu Shabu, every visit I make to Boston I do not miss the opportunity to enjoy this delight of food. You can't miss it. This place is highly recommended.Vegetarian options: Plenty of veggies, Tofu, rice, noodles.Dietary restrictions: You can ask the waiter what type of food you have a restriction on.Parking: In front of Shabu Zen you can find a huge park lot.Kid-friendliness: Every kid is more than welcome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shabu
Shabu Zen: Quick and Tasty HotpotShabu Zen is my choice for a quick hotpot fix. The standout feature here is the fast service, which ensures you won't be waiting long for your bubbling pot of goodness.The menu offers a wide selection of meats, veggies, and other hotpot delights, providing a variety of choices to customize your meal. What sets Shabu Zen apart is the extensive range of broth options, allowing you to tailor your hotpot experience to your taste.However, as a self-proclaimed sauce enthusiast, I was slightly disappointed that they only offer one sauce. Hotpot, for me, is all about the dipping and experimenting with different flavors, so the limited sauce selection left me wanting more.While I do stop by Shabu Zen from time to time, there's still a special place in my heart for other hotpot spots in Chinatown. Despite the quick service and variety, the overall experience can sometimes feel a bit rushed. ???